Photosynthetic Toxicity and Oxidative Damage Induced by nano-Fe3O4 on <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> in Aquatic Environment

Abstract

With the rapid development of nanotechnology and widespread use of nanoproducts, concerns have arisen regarding the ecotoxicity of these materials. In this paper, the photosynthetic toxicity and oxidative damage induced by nano Fe3O4 on a model organism, Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) in aquatic environment, were studied. The results showed that Nano-Fe3O4 was toxic to C. vulgaris and affected its content of chlorophyll a, malonaldehyde and glutathione, CO2 absorption, net photosynthetic rate, superoxide dismutase activity and inhibition of hydroxyl radical generation. At higher concentrations, compared with the control group, the toxicity of nano-Fe3O4 was significantly different. It suggested that nano-Fe3O4 is ecotoxic to C. vulgaris in aquatic environment.